Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Judge resumes stalled Beirut port blast investigation

Judge resumes stalled Beirut port blast investigation

The judge investigating Beirut’s deadly 2020 port blast resumed his work on Monday after an almost 13-month halt to proceedings.
And Tarek Bitar’s first job was to order the release of five detained suspects: A port maintenance contractor and his Syrian-national employee, one of the port’s directors, Michel Nahoul, former customs chief, Shafik Merhi, and port operations director, Sami Hussein.

At the same time, he charged eight people with “potential intent to kill,” some of the most prominent names including the chiefs of General Security and State Security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, and Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, respectively, and judges Ghassan Khoury, Carla Shawah, and Jad Maalouf.

A judicial source told Arab News that a travel ban would be imposed on those people released without bail and that there would be more releases to follow.

Seventeen people have been charged in connection with the explosion which took place on Aug. 4, 2020, killing more than 300 people and injuring at least 6,500.

Families of blast victims had recently ramped up pressure on the judges of the Supreme Judicial Council not to appoint another judge to decide on the fate of the detained suspects.

Bitar requested from the public prosecution on Monday that the suspects’ release would be implemented and that the defendants would be informed about the decision.

He had previously requested the initiation of legal proceedings against Maalouf and Shawah but the public prosecution had not taken any action against them.

Maalouf allegedly played a key role in allowing the unloading of the ship carrying tons of the ammonium nitrate that eventually exploded, and appointed a judicial guard, while Shawah was accused of failing to act to destroy the hazardous material.

Bitar resumed his investigations from his office at the Justice Palace following months of legal attempts to remove him from the case. But he said the timing was not linked to his recent meeting in Beirut with a French judicial delegation.

Two French nationals were killed in the blast and others were injured.

Bitar told the delegation that his report into the case was already 540 pages long and that he had around 150 pages still to write.

Responding to Bitar’s latest moves, the Lebanese minister of justice in the caretaker government contacted the Supreme Judicial Council questioning legal documentation allowing the judge to resume his work and issues surrounding confidentiality.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×